5 Can’t Miss Fall Festivals in Ohio

By TourismOhio

Posted On: June 3, 2017

Ohio is the place to be to experience all the colorful fall season has to offer. From family-friendly events to popular pumpkin festivities, there is no shortage of memorable fallidays to explore around the state.

Check out these must-see, must-taste and must-celebrate fall festivals to add your calendar:

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati showcases the rich German heritage of Southwest Ohio, as well as tasty samples of German-style music, food and beer. First held in 1976, it has grown to be America’s largest Oktoberfest event with more than 500,000 people in attendance each year. Join Oktoberfest goers on Saturday for the official opening ceremonies and keg tapping at 11:30am. Sam Adams founder, Jim Koch, will be tapping the keg! There will be live music all weekend long in five different beer gardens, and in between make sure to go see Joey Chestnut, World Champion Eater, defend his crown at the Glier’s World Brat Eating Championship. Also, did we mention that the World’s Largest Chicken Dance happens there every year?!

Lake Anna Park will explode with color as 17,000 chrysanthemums create over a million mum blooms at the twenty-seventh annual MUM FEST on Saturday and Sunday, September 23rd and 24th. This dazzling floral display will provide a brilliant backdrop for a fall weekend filled with FREE family entertainment, arts and crafts, gardening tips, and fabulous foods. MUM FEST 2017 will include water ski shows, canoe races on Lake Anna, roving entertainers, unique food vendors, ice carving, sand sculpting, and children’s activities.

Celebrate the arrival of Ohio’s fallidays with Gervasi Vineyard! A variety of family-friendly events are planned, including grape stomping, caricatures, bocce tournaments and more! Plan to check out the live music that will be performed throughout the day. Take part in a wine tasting after you finish the vineyard tours, which take place every half hour and enjoy lunch and dinner at one of three restaurants on the 55-acre estate. What a perfect way to see Ohio’s breathtaking fall foliage!

Families looking for an affordable, fun, autumn day trip need not look further than the 47th Bob Evans Farm Festival, October 13-15 in Rio Grande, Ohio. The Bob Evans Farm Festival features exciting entertainment and unique demonstrations the entire family will enjoy.

Visitors can devour farm favorites like cornbread, apple dumplings, apple cider and more! Additionally, there will be more than 100 artisans showcasing their work for purchase and opportunities to participate in a number of fun contests, including the kiddie tractor pull, cow chip toss, sack race and a pie eating contest.

Farm Festival admission is $6 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-8. Children five years old and under are free.

Any Ohioan will tell you, fall means the Circleville Pumpkin Show! The 111th Circleville Pumpkin Show is just south of Columbus and attracts more than 400,000 visitors each year. This is the spot for all things pumpkin! Check out the parades, rides, entertainment and every kind of pumpkin-flavored treat that you can think of. Be sure to stop by and see the largest pumpkin pie, measuring at 14 feet in diameter.

These aren’t the only fantastic fall festivals this season, check out these honorable mentions:

From shucking corn, to decorating pumpkins, to pressing cider and churning butter, Fall on the Farm promises to be a wonderful day for your family to create special memories at Sauder Village. Saturday, October 8 will be a full day of engaging activities that allow you to experience what life was like on an Ohio farm more than 100 years ago.

Fashion is at the forefront at HighBall, a costume couture party that closes down High Street in Columbus for two nights. The local fashion scene is on full display with eight designers all presenting runway shows. Events include a competitive public costume contest, so be sure to bring your best!

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